In 2025, DW’s fact-checking team observed that disinformation became increasingly sophisticated, heavily utilizing AI-generated deepfakes and manipulated media to distort reality. Major global events, particularly the escalation of regional conflicts and high-stakes international elections, served as primary catalysts for the viral spread of false narratives. The report highlights a significant trend where “cheapfakes”—low-tech edits of real footage—remained just as effective at misleading the public as complex artificial intelligence.
Date: December 30, 2025. Source: dw.com